Following the team with a unique perspective on all things Phillies. Email me: PhilliesPhollowers@comcast.net – Peace, Love & Baseball – Jenn

Baseball’s Strangest Pranks and Bad Jokes

Continuing our Strange Baseball series, here is the latest installment:Baseball Pranks and Jokes.Please, do not try these at home J

Atlanta Braves Minor Leagues – a player, who apparently will remain nameless, was told by his teammates that his hotel room in Scranton was haunted and that a ghost was going to try to kill him.His teammates even got a key to his room and re-arranged things so he would think that the ghost did it.This poor, gullible player bought into the stories and was so scared, he was ready to change hotels. Before he could, a group of players stormed his room in the middle of the night and scared the pants off him. (events reported by Blaine Boyer)

Jose Contreras, White Sox:In 2006, Contreras injured Juan Uribe by giving him a super-atomic wedgie (the waistband of the undies goes over the head).Uribe actually missed playing time as a result of the prank gone wrong.

Luis Gonzalez, Florida Marlins: Gonzales reportedly filled a jelly donut with mustard and waited for someone to eat it.Eventually, someone did eat it and then proceeded to ask the clubhouse attendant to call the donut shop and advise them that someone had spiked the donuts.

Eric Byrnes, Arizona Diamondback: Adam Piatt became a victim of a horrible prank in retaliation for pranks he had played on others in the D-Backs locker room.Byrnes and company coated both his underwear and his entire suit with Icy-Hot.Piatt started sweating on his way to the airport and later reported that it was the worst plane ride of his life.

Denny Neagle, Cincinnati Reds: One night the grounds crew went out to sweep up during the fifth inning, and the team mascot, Mr. Red, joined them which was a typical event.The catch this night was that Neagle was masquerading as Mr. Red.As he wandered past the Red’s dugout and his identity was discovered, his team had quite a laugh over it.

Larry Bowa, Philadelphia Phillies: When Bowa was playing shortstop with the Phillies his main National League rival was Dave Concepcion of the Reds.Before a game against the Reds, Bowa asked Concepcion if he had changed his name to Elmer.When Concepcion replied, “No, why?”Bowa responded with, “Because I keep seeing E-Concepcion in box score.”Concepcion had earned a new nickname.

Corey Koskie, Minnesota Twins: Koskie put peanut butter in the underwear of “Big Papi” David Ortiz.Ortiz got dressed after his shower like usual and had walked about 10 yards before he noticed something was not right.He suddenly began screaming, “Who put peanut butter in my underwear? What’s in my underwear?”What I’d like to know is, how did he know it was peanut butter? J

Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers:Before a game, Schmidt switched his jersey withClayton Kershaw’s.Unaware of the switch, Kershaw went out onto the field wearing the wrong jersey, took pictures with fans and was even caught wearing it on the stadium’s Jumbo-Tron during the National Anthem.Oops!

Trot Nixon, Boston Red Sox:Nixon decided to torture Kevin Youkilis by super gluing his suitcase shut on a road trip to Texas.Unable to get it open, Youkilis had to enlist help; they cut the suitcase open and Youkilis had to get a new bag.

Casey Weathers, Colorado Rockies:As the Rockies’ number 1 draft pick in 2007, Casey Weathers was teased about being a big “star” and forced during camp to carry a Red Carpet around everywhere he went.This prank occurred after the first day of camp when he was forced to push around a cart containing an elk head.

Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies:We are all familiar with the awful prank that was pulled on Kyle Kendrick during 2008 Spring Training.Kendrick was told he had been traded to Japan and everyone, including the manager, his agent, the media, and all the players were in on the prank organized by Myers.I think a video explains this one best:

Kyle McClellan, St. Louis Cardinals:McClellan fell victim to a common prank seen all around MLB; as a rookie, McClellan decided to keep the first game ball he threw in the majors.His teammates replaced it with a ball they had written all over and McClellan was upset, thinking they had actually written on his ball.Later, his teammates gave him the real ball back, unharmed.

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves:Hudson gave Eddie Perez the fright of his life during a stay at a Fort Lauderdale hotel.Perez entered his room, opened the closet door and Hudson jumped out at him, wearing the Scary Movie costume and mask.It was all caught on tape and aired on Spike TV.Perez was so upset, he asked to change rooms.

Henry Blanco, Chicago Cubs:During Spring Training, Blanco and teammates decided to have some fun with their athletic trainer.He had an old, beat up car but it was in pretty good shape when compared with how it looked after Blanco and company got through with it.They took bats to it and smashed it up, broke all the windows, etc…When the trainer saw what they had done, he was in shock.Blanco then informed him that they had all gotten together and bought him a new car.Whew!

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals:Third base coach Tony Beasly was very excited about a brand new car he had just bought. Zimmerman and friends stole his keys while he wasn’t looking and had the security guard move the car.After the game, Beasly thought his car had been stolen.His son came in the next day and told players it was the first time he had ever heard his very religious father cuss.

Dave Parker, Cincinnati Reds:A popular prank in the Reds clubhouse had been named “The Three Man Lift.”Three players would lie on the ground and lock arms while Parker attempted to “lift” the 3 men.On the floor, the man in the middle was about to get a surprise.What they were actually doing was holding the guy down while other players covered him in shaving cream, mustard, ketchup and talcum powder.Former Red Glenn Sutko reportedly fell for this trick not once, but twice.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Strange Baseball.Please leave any of your favorite pranks in the comment section below to share with everyone.

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